What does the digitally disruptive future have in store for us?

Tuesday, 8 September 2015, by Rosie Kenyon

“What is going to disrupt the digital landscape in years to come?” is the question that was put to us in our first week of Google Squared. I went with biotechnology, as did many of my fellow Square (I am currently doing the Google Squared digital marketing course) learners.

Other popular answers included the internet of things (the ability to connect up objects, animals and people; transferring data across a shared network with no need for human or computer interaction), 3D printing and smart/driverless cars.

Taking a look at biotechnology...

The advance of biotechnology is already disrupting things in the medical world, for the better so far. It has enabled a revolution in the diagnosis of diseases due to genetic factors. It has given a colour blind person the ability to ‘hear’ colour through the use of digital waves and it paves the way for new drugs and treatments to be made cheaper.

It’s not just the medical world that is feeling the disruption. Innovation in biotechnology stretches across agricultural, industrial and environmental sectors - incurring significant results for mankind. Agriculturally, biotechnology impacts upon genetically modified crops and could see food production capacity increasing (significantly important in our longer-living, rapidly expanding society).

Industrial biotechnology is beyond my comprehension…it involves “the application of micro-organisms, or components of cells to create industrial products or processes. This includes things such as industrial fermentation” @Tumotech.

Moving on… environmentally, biotechnology again has massive implications in this sector and arguably mankind as a whole. Advances in biotechnology will open up opportunities to improve the preservation of our environment and sustainability.

All in all, the world of biotechnology is highly disruptive, fast-advancing, (digitally) mind-boggling and impacts crucially on the future of our world.

Good or bad?

Positive advances in biotechnology can already be felt in the medical sector. Not long until we all feel the disruption - for good or bad - watch this space… The controversial 3D printing technologies could be seen moving into the scene with bioprinting offering the potential to print human organs… Dr Frankenstein was way ahead of his time.